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Like Cheap Trick and Budokan or The Allman Brothers Band and the Beacon Theatre, Eric Clapton has a kind of bond with London’s Royal Albert Hall. He’s played there more than 200 times in the last 60 years – more than any other artist – and condensed two runs of shows at the venue into the live album 24 Nights in 1991, the start of a critical and commercial renaissance for the guitar legend.

On June 23, Rhino rolls out a series of products telling an even deeper story of the period that birthed 24 Nights. The Definitive 24 Nights is a three-part box set, spread over six CDs or eight LPs and three Blu-rays, offering mostly unreleased material from those sets. Each “set,” grouped into three categories – rock, blues and orchestral – is available separately. All audiovisual material has been restored and remixed by Clapton’s longtime producer Simon Climie along with video producer Peter Worsley and director David Barnard. David Fricke has penned new liner notes for the set, included in the box as a hardbound book with an individually numbered lithograph featuring a photo of Clapton by Carl Sudna.

Having performed a dozen Royal Albert Hall shows in one run in 1989, Clapton would break his own record twice, with 18 sets in 1990 and another 24 in 1991. Those two runs were divided into four separate categories of show. One featured Clapton leading a stripped-down group of ace session musicians (Nathan East on bass, Greg Phillinganes on keyboards and Steve Ferrone on drums); another featured an expanded nine-piece band that included luminaries like guitarist Phil Palmer, percussionist Ray Cooper and keyboardist Alan Clark (Chuck Leavell replaced him on the 1991 tour, while Phil Collins guested at selected shows). A third set featured a blues ensemble and guests like Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Albert Collins and Jimmie Vaughan. Finally, the fourth set reunited Clapton with composer/conductor Michael Kamen, his partner on the scores to Edge of Darkness and the Lethal Weapon series, with the backing of the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

The original 24 Nights became a gold record on both sides of the Atlantic, showcasing Clapton’s deep catalogue in new ways that would anticipate the revisited revival of his award-winning MTV Unplugged concert a year later. The Definiitive 24 Nights provides an even deeper, alternative look at those concerts: only 12 of the 47 tracks on the collection have been released before. (The original album had 15 tracks, and in fact four of them are not replicated here; one of the previously released cuts was used as a B-side. So hold on to your original copies, completists!) Fans will get a chance to hear some of the guest performances from these nights, including Collins sitting in on “I Shot the Sheriff” and a reggae cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” plus East lending vocals to the band’s interpretation of Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home.” Of particular interest to fans is “Concerto for Electric Guitar,” an unreleased 30-minute piece composed by Kamen for the orchestral sets.

A month before the box is released, Unique X and Iconic Events will offer global screenings of a new feature-length concert film culled from the 24 Nights footage (released on Blu-ray in the box set and on DVD in the breakout sets). Those screenings, featuring Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround sound, will start May 17; more information can be read here.

The Definitive 24 Nights continues a flurry of Clapton catalogue activity at Rhino, including two vinyl box sets and a similar deluxe version of Nothing But the Blues. Pre-order your copy of the box set or its component releases, below.

The Definitive 24 Nights (Duck/Reprise/Rhino, 2023)

* Previously released

6CD/3BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
8LP/3BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1-2/LP 1-3: 24 Nights: Rock

2CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

1. Pretending *
2. Running on Faith *
3. Breaking Point
4. I Shot the Sheriff (feat. Phil Collins on drums)
5. White Room *
6. Can’t Find My Way Home (feat. Nathan East on lead vocals)
7. Bad Love *
8. Before You Accuse Me
9. Lay Down Sally
10. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (feat. Phil Collins on drums)
11. Old Love
12. No Alibis *
13. Tearing Us Apart
14. Cocaine
15. Wonderful Tonight *
16. Layla
17. Crossroads
18. Sunshine of Your Love

CD 3-4/LP 4-5: 24 Nights: Blues

2CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

1. Key to the Highway
2. Worried Life Blues *
3. Watch Yourself *
4. Have You Ever Loved a Woman *
5. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
6. Something on Your Mind
7. All Your Love (I Miss Loving)
8. It’s My Life Baby
9. Johnnie’s Boogie
10. Black Cat Bone
11. Reconsider Baby
12. My Time After a While
13. Sweet Home Chicago
14. Watch Yourself (Reprise)

CD 5-6/LP 6-8: 24 Nights: Orchestral

2CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

1. Crossroads
2. Bell Bottom Blues *
3. Lay Down Sally
4. Holy Mother
5. I Shot the Sheriff
6. Hard Times *
7. Can’t Find My Way Home (feat. Nathan East on lead vocals)
8. Edge of Darkness *
9. Old Love
10. Wonderful Tonight
11. White Room
12. Concerto for Electric Guitar
13. A Remark You Made (A tribute to Jaco Pastorius)
14. Layla
15. Sunshine of Your Love

All previously released tracks from 24 Nights (Duck/Reprise 26420, 1991) except “No Alibis,” from “Wonderful Tonight” U.K. single (Duck/Reprise W0069, 1991)